


Two Jokers In Every Deck (Rewrite)

by fearjunkie



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-07-14 04:06:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16032632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fearjunkie/pseuds/fearjunkie
Summary: Only a couple months after Akira leaves town, the Metaverse returns and finds the Phantom Thieves without their Wild Card. Akira gives his power to a new thief, but this replacement may leave much to be desired...





	1. The Passing of the Torch

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it's been a while since I updated Two Jokers, and quite frankly I wasn't very happy how it was turning out. The pacing was off, I wasn't satisfied with how I wrote some of parts, and a lot of the writing is really barebones. After cutting my teeth on writing a novel, I feel like I'm ready to take another crack at this. I'll leave the original version up, but this will be the version I update from here on out.

Chapter 1: The Passing of The Torch

 

For a solitary animal egoism is a virtue that tends to preserve and improve the species: in any community it becomes a destructive vice. - Erwin Schrodinger  
  
  
  
It was the middle of the night in early April when Ren Amamiya was brought back to the Velvet Room. He looked up from the opened prison cell in confusion to see Lavenza and Igor outside, looking at him expectantly.  
  
“What's going on?” asked Ren. “Why am I here again?” Lavenza gave Ren a grim look. “Something is causing the cognitive world to return.” she said.  
  
“What?!” shouted Ren. “But we destroyed the Grail! We annihilated Yaldabaoth! The Metaverse doesn't exist without those two!”  
  
“Something has stepped in to take the false god's place,” said Igor, his fingers steepled. “The world does not care for power vacuums or imbalances, and will try one way or another to fill the void left when a great power is removed from the playing field.”  
  
“So what, something decided to step up to the plate now that Yaldabaoth's dead?” asked Ren. “A simplification, but not inaccurate.” answered Igor. “Which is why I summoned you here- I am aware that you are no longer living amongst your allies and cannot go to their aid, so I offer you a way to help them- however, I can only do it with your approval..”  
  
“What would that be?” asked Ren.  
  
“In lieu of your presence, I can temporarily transfer the power of the Wild Card to another individual, who will be guided by fate to seek out your allies and take the position you once had. For one year, you will be deputizing a new Trickster to take your place...”  
  
Ren bit his lip, deep in thought. He wasn't sure if giving the Wild Card away to some random individual in Tokyo was a smart idea, but if the Metaverse was really coming back...who could tell what kind of havoc it's new master would wreak.  
  
“Who gets the Wild Card?” asked Ren. Igor spread his hands wide. “That is not for us to decide...fate will ultimately seek a candidate out and bestow the gift of the Wild Card upon them.”  
  
Ren took a deep breath. It was a shot in the dark, but in a situation like this, a shot needed to be taken.  
  
“Alright, let's do this.” Ren said, bracing himself for the worst- he was expecting Lavenza to jam her hand through his chest and rip some sort of essence out of him, or for a mind-shattering agony like when he awoke to Arsene in Kamoshida's Palace. Instead, a blue light emerged from his chest and floated towards Igor. The master of the Velvet Room gently took the orb of light and tossed it into the air, and it vanished without so much as a trace.  
  
“That was...not what I was expecting.” said Ren.  
  
  
  
“Life seldom meets expectations.” Igor said with a grin. “Now, your part of the process is done. We must prepare to welcome our new Trickster...”  
  
“Alright,” said Ren. He was about to walk back to the prison-style bed when he stopped to look towards Lavenza. “Hey, wish the new guy luck for me...he's probably going to need it.” Lavenza nodded. “I will remember to do that.” she said plainly.  
  
Ren laid down on the prison-style bed and when he woke back up in his bed in the real world, the first thing he did was to send a message in a group chat that he hadn't needed to use in a long time:  
  
[Ren: Metaverse is coming back, sending a new guy to fill in for me. Be ready.]

 

\---

 

12 HOURS EARLIER

 

A young man sighed as he sat on a bench in downtown Shibuya and looked through his wallet. It was nearly empty, and he needed money to replace his worn-out, ragged shoes. He was lean and slightly taller than most Japanese boys his age. He had combed-back dark brown hair with a pronounced widow's peak. His eyes were a rich shade of hazel, framed with extremely thin eyebrows. The boy's name was Noritaka Asano, and he needed to replace his busted-up sneakers before he started attending Shujin Academy the following day. He could easily imagine the teachers chewing him out for 'disrespecting decorum’ by not wearing presentable shoes.

  
  


Most people would have asked their parents to get them new shoes, but Noritaka didn't have that option: he was a ward of the state, and a particularly unlucky one at that. Noritaka had been passed around foster homes like a church offering plate. His latest foster parent meant well, but his budget was tight, so Noritaka didn't want to bother him with expenses like new shoes. 

 

However, Noritaka had ways of making money. He had skills in duping and hustling that he picked up in his youth. Noritaka looked back into his wallet and fished out a small set of yen notes in various denominations.

 

“I could possibly pull this off…” he muttered to himself as he stood up and crossed the street. He took a deep breath to get focused and walked into a convenience store. Noritaka walked up to the cashier and held out the 2000 yen note as he put a bento box worth 500 yen on the counter. The cashier took the bill and began making change as Noritaka pulled out the 100 yen bills. “Hey, while you’ve got the register open, I need to get rid of some of these 100s.” said Noritaka. The cashier nodded and pulled a 1000 yen bill from the register as Noritaka put a stack of 100 notes on the counter. 

 

Noritaka reached for the 1000 yen note and pocketed it while the cashier counted the money. “Hey, you're short one.” the cashier said. “You only gave me nine.”

 

“Oh, sorry.” Noritaka said, putting on a sheepish facade. He made a show of checking his pockets before pulling out a wad of crumpled bills. “Hang on, I got some more.” said Noritaka. He began counting out bills as he put them down on the counter. “1000...1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500…” 

 

Noritaka pulled out a 500 yen note and threw it down. “Eh, screw it, I’ll take a 2000.” said Noritaka. The cashier shrugged and took the money before returning the 2000 note. “Thanks!” said Noritaka as he took the bento box and the money and leaving.

 

What the cashier didn't know is that Noritaka had just swindled him out of 1000 yen using one of the oldest short cons in the book, the ‘Short Change’. Noritaka used a legitimate transaction (the bento box) and followed it up with another exchange- the 100 notes. Noritaka deliberately gave the cashier the wrong amount to distract him so Noritaka could pocket the 1000 note. When the cashier gave the 100 notes back, Noritaka threw another set of 100s on top along with a 500, essentially using the other 100 notes a secondtime. At the end of the exchange, Noritaka had essentially turned 4000 yen into 5000. Noritaka hustled out of the convenience store, wanting to get some distance in case the cashier realized what Noritaka did. 

 

Noritaka used his 5000 yen to replace his ratty old shoes, throwing the old pair into a dumpster- they were too far gone to even donate to a charity store.  _ At least the teachers can’t chew me out for disrespecting dress code,  _ thought Noritaka.  _ Though there will probably be plenty more for them to chew me out for. _

  
  


Noritaka went down into a subway and headed for home, completely unaware that in 12 hours, his life would be changed forever.

 

\---

PRESENT

 

Igor shuffled the deck of Tarot cards as he awaited the arrival of Fate’s chosen Wild Card. As he went through each card, he noticed one of the cards was nowhere to be found. The fortune teller frowned and furrowed his brow. No matter how hard he looked, the Fool would not show himself. Never in all of his years serving the Velvet Room had a card gone missing from his deck.  “How strange…” he whispered. Was this a portent? 

 

Igor pondered what the meaning of the Fool’s disappearance meant as he continued shuffling. Without a warning, a card either came unstuck from another card or surreptitiously materialized itself into Igor’s deck. However, it was not the Fool. 

 

The card depicted a blindfolded jester dancing on a riverside, unaware of four animals that are approaching him, seeming intent on tearing the ignorant dancer limb from limb. The card had no number, but in bold, stylized font on the bottom, it read 'LE BOUFFON'.

 

Igor froze in place when he saw the card. The last time that particular Arcana had made its presence known, it had been during the ordeal of the Truth Seeker…

 

Igor remembered who embodied that Arcana, and for the first time in existence, Igor felt uncertainty.

 

He smiled despite his growing unease. “Well, this is an interesting development.” he said. Lavenza looked towards Igor. “What is it, Master?” she inquired. 

 

“It would seem that Fate has played a game with us,” said Igor. “We were expecting a Fool, but have been dealt a Jester instead. I am quite interested in seeing where this development will take us.”

 

The Room shook, and the walls of the blue-tinged prison began to crumble away. The Velvet Room could sense the approach of its new Wild Card, and was transforming itself to accommodate them. “The Jester draws near…” says Igor. 

 

\---

 

After arriving home, Noritaka went through the ritual of eating, showering, laying his school uniform out on his dresser, and going to bed. However, when he opened his eyes, it was not sunlight that greeted his gaze. No, what he saw when he opened his eyes was something he’d never seen in his life. It looked like a Japanese courtroom, though he’d never seen one so garishly blue.  He was standing in the middle of the courtroom floor, behind a stand where the witnesses would deliver their testimonies. On top of that, his clothes had been replaced with a bright-orange correctional jumpsuit, and his left hand was handcuffed to the stand with an unusually long chain. He had enough slack to walk around the courtroom if he wanted, but no further than that. To his left was the bench and desk where the defense attorney would sit, but to his right, instead of the same set up for the prosecution, there was- much to Noritaka's alarm-a row of execution devices: gallows, guillotines, electric chairs, even some heavily reinforced cell doors that seemed to be for solitary confinement. Sitting where a judge would be was a peculiar-looking old man with a long nose, and sitting in the defendant's booth was a young girl with long platinum-blonde hair and yellow eyes, dressed in blue.

 

_ Well, this is...new. _ Thought Noritaka. For all he knew, this was just a strange- albeit vivid- dream. 

 

The banging of a gavel echoed through the courtroom like the sound of gunshots. Noritaka looked up to the man in the judge’s seat, who gave the man a smile that would make even the most stoic individual feel uneasy. “Welcome to the Velvet Room, Trickster.” the man said, his voice airy and almost whimsical. 

 

Noritaka felt the handcuffs chafe against his wrist as he shifted in place. This was starting to feel too real to be a dream. “What is going on?” he demanded, trying to slip out of the cuffs. However, they were too tight to escape from. Primal fear flooded Noritaka’s mind, his every neuron screaming to escape. The chain rattled loudly as Noritaka desperately worked at the cuff, hoping to break it or loosen it or do  _ something  _ to it.

 

“Let me out of here!” yelled Noritaka. “This shit isn’t funny! I don’t know what kind of sick kidnapping kick you got, but I want nothing to do with it!”

 

The girl in the defendant’s booth gave Noritaka a reassuring smile. “You have nothing to fear.” she said. “You are only here in dreams.”

 

“I am Igor, master of the Velvet Room.” said the man presiding over the room.  “You are currently in a place that is situated between dreams and reality, mind and matter. Only those who have made a 'contract' may enter. However, you have been tasked with rooting out a 'corruption' in your world...you are not the first to enter my room, and your time here has come on the heels of your predecessor, but the allies he has made will soon become your allies as well...”

 

The girl in blue bowed to Noritaka. “I am Lavenza, Igor’s assistant.”

 

“Wait, wait, slow down.” demanded Noritaka. “Corruption? Predecessor? What the hell are you talking about?!” 

 

A bell rang, interrupting the confused young man. Igor chuckled wistfully. “Unfortunately, our time together is being cut short. In time, you will be provided with the answers you seek,” he said. “Until then, we look forward to seeing you again.”

 

The lights in the room became brighter and brighter until they were blinding, forcing Noritaka to close his eyes. When he opened them back up, he was staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. 


	2. Reunite

 

_ There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered - Nelson Mandela _

 

Ryuji rolled out of bed on accident, his head hitting the floor with a ‘thud’. 

 

“Owwww! Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!” yelped Ryuji, rubbing his head.

 

“Are you alright, Ryuji?” his mother called out. “Fine, mom!” answered Ryuji. He sighed. “Damn, what a way to start the first day back...still, only one more year at Shujin before I can do what I want!” 

 

Ryuji quickly changed his shirt and hobbled over to grab his phone. Turning it on, it began buzzing rapidly. “The hell?” muttered Ryuji. “What’s with all these notifications?” He unlocked his phone and typed out a question:

 

[Ryuji: why are you guys blowing up my phone? ]   
[Yusuke:  Akira-san texted all of us in the middle of the night and told us that the Metaverse was coming back]

[Ryuji: WHAT]

[Ryuji: HOW]

[Ryuji: it’s only been two months since Tokyo almost got swallowed up by Mementos. How the eff is it coming back? Last time I checked, god or no, you don’t come back from getting shot in the head.]

[Ryuji: I mean, unless you’re Ren, but that wasn’t really ‘him’ that got shot]

[Makoto: Ren didn’t explain how the Metaverse was coming back.]

[Makoto: However, he said something about a ‘new guy to fill in for him’.]

[Ryuji: new guy?]

[Ryuji: what’s that mean?]

[Futaba:  we don't have a clue （；￣д￣）]

[Ryuji: srsly?]

[Futaba: ya rly]

[Ann: Well, if Ren picked him, we should give him a chance.]

[Ryuji: i dunno if anyone could take Ren’s place as Joker]

[Futaba: wait]

[Futaba: what if Ren means this new guy can use multiple Personas, too?]

[Ryuji: um]

[Ryuji: should i remind you guys that the last time someone else with multiple personas joined us, it ended VERY BADLY]

[Ann: Can we not talk about Akechi? Please??? That’s still kind of a sore spot...]

[Makoto: Multiple Personas or not, I’m not sure if we should completely let this new member take Ren’s place as leader.]

[Ryuji: btw, did Haru say anything about this? She doesn’t seem to be in chat]

[Makoto: She’s open to the idea of adding a new member, but she’s been busy with helping at LeBlanc and getting ready for college]

[Ryuji: ah jeez, i totally forgot she graduated]

[Makoto: Did you forget I graduated, too?]

[Ryuji: yeah]

[Ryuji: i spent so much time hanging out with you that i totally forgot you were in 3rd year]

 

\---

 

Noritaka’s eyes snapped open. Despite the dream he had, spots of flash-blindness swam around in his vision. Coughing - he must’ve fallen asleep with his mouth open- Noritaka dragged himself out of bed and prepared himself for class. One shower and change of clothes later, Noritaka walked out of the bathroom, down the hallway, and into the kitchen. The apartment Noritaka lived in was as bog-standard as you could get: light beige wallpaper, cheap paintings from furnitures more useful for just taking up wall space rather than contributing to a defined aesthetic, generic furniture. Ironically, the man that rented the apartment- Noritaka’s current legal guardian- worked as an architect, designing buildings and offices for a living. 

 

The architect in question was named Eizan Nishihara.  He was a man of a tall, reedy build with short brown hair that had gone totally gray at the temples. The glasses perched upon his aquiline nose gave him the appearance of a studious, intelligent man. Eizan looked up from the morning news paper and smiled at Noritaka.  “Good morning, Noritaka-kun.” Eizan said cheerfully. Noritaka winced at the friendliness of it all. It was bad enough he was stuck with another foster parent, but the fact that Eizan was trying to be accommodating was just going to make the inevitable separation more miserable. The way Noritaka saw it, either Eizan would get sick of having him around like all the foster parents that came before him and would send Noritaka back, or Noritaka would turn eighteen and no longer be a ward of the state. Noritaka didn't want to go back- the foster care centers Noritaka went through were less than pleasant.  All Noritaka wanted to do was wait it out until his birthday and not get attached to Eizan in the meantime.

“Can you stop calling me that?” asked Noritaka as he grabbed a piece of toast and put jelly on it. “It's making me real uncomfortable.” 

“Oh...okay.” Eizan said, sounding a little sad. “I'm going to be out late tonight for a meeting, can you make yourself dinner?”

“Yeah,” said Noritaka. “I can fend for myself.” 

“Alright…” Eizan said. “Have a good day at school, Noritaka-”

Eizan bit his tongue, fighting back an urge to add the ‘-kun’ honorific. 

\---

 

Ryuji settled into his seat. New year, new homeroom. The teacher, Mr. Takahashi,was prattling on about something, but Ryuji wasn't paying that much attention. However, his attention was piqued when Takahashi stood in the front of the classroom alongside a student with combed-back hair and a widow's peak, who looked entirely disinterested.

“...And so, this is our new member of the Shujin Academy student body, Noritaka Asano. Please, give him a warm welcome befitting our school.” said Takahashi. Whatever response Takahashi was hoping for, he didn't get it. He was met with dead silence.

“...well,” Takahashi said after an awkward silence. “Hopefully, this doesn't give you the wrong impression, Asano-san.” Noritaka gave a nonchalant shrug before taking a seat in the only seat still open- the one directly next to Ryuji.

“Hey man, don’t let the tough crowd get ya down.”said Ryuji. Noritaka said nothing in reply, instead cracking his notebook open and focusing on the teacher. 

“...Not much of a people person, huh?” Ryuji said, despite knowing Noritaka wouldn’t respond. 

“Not when the teacher’s staring in my direction.” Noritaka whispered, not looking up from taking notes. Ryuji looked to the front of the class to see Takahashi scanning the room like a hawk, looking for anyone to chastise and berate. 

“Nice catch.” Ryuji whispered back. Noritaka shrugged and continued taking notes. As the teacher prattled on, Ryuji surreptitiously pulled out his phone and pulled up the group chat.

 

[Ryuji: So, did Ren even say who the new guy was]

[Ann: Pay attention! I can totally see your phone, and Takahashi will, too!]

[Ryuji: O SHIT, i didn’t realize we were in the same homeroom again]

[Ann: Did you not see me? I’m in the back row]

[Ann: OMIGOD DON’T LOOK BACK]

[Makoto: You should probably be paying more attention…]

[Futaba: ━(◯Δ◯∥)━ン oh noes,  the fun police is here ]

[Makoto: You too, Futaba?]

[Ryuji: Hey, I’m trying to be productive and find our new Joker.]

[Ren: Well…]

[Futaba: Gasp!]

[Futaba: Our fearless leader speaks!]

[Futaba: ( ﾉ^ω^)ﾉﾟ]

[Ren: Don’t celebrate yet. I have no idea who the new Wild Card is or where they are.]

[Futaba: ヽ ( ꒪д꒪ )ﾉ]

[Ryuji: R U SERIOUS?!]

[Ryuji: Goddammit!]

[Ren: Igor said that ‘fate’ would choose the Wild Card]

[Ryuji: Igor…? can’t remember who that is]

[Futaba: Long nose dude who busted us outta the weird blue slammer after Yaldy decided to Thanos us outta existence and we were all ╭(°A° _ *:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ _ ]

[Ryuji: Oh right, him]

[Ren: Movie spoilers aside, I don’t really know how we’ll find the new Wild Card]

[Ann: if 'fate’ picks out the Wild Card, maybe it'll bring them to us, too.]

[Ren: There's a thought.]

[Makoto: Not sure if I’m OK with leaving this up to 'fate’]

[Ren: Hey, I can't do much from here.]

[Ren: I couldn't just tell my parents that I had Phantom Thief business in Tokyo and leave.]

[Futaba: eff your parental units]

[Ren: Phrasing.]

[Futaba: dhuajdhaienhshajd NO]

[Futaba: IDIDNTMEANITLIKETHAT]

Ryuji could hear Ann stifling a giggle fit in the back of the class.

 

\---

 

When class let out, Noritaka had time to kill. He had no love for coming home to an empty house, so he decided to walk around for a bit, get better acquainted with his new place of residence. The last time he lived in Tokyo, it was in a different foster home on the other side of the city, so this was unfamiliar territory for him. 

 

Noritaka found himself in the cramped streets of Yongen-Jaya, where the scent of coffee and curry hit his nose. His stomach growled in response. Noritaka looked into his wallet. He didn’t have much money left, but he wanted to see what he could get.

He walked towards the smell and followed it to a cozy little cafe. The sign above the door read ‘Cafe Leblanc’. Noritaka entered and took a seat as he looked around. His gaze met a cute girl with short, fluffy hair and a pink cardigan standing by the counter. The girl looked at Noritaka and smiled. “Oh, good afternoon!” she said happily. “Welcome to Leblanc!”

“Uh, hi.” Noritaka said, sitting down. He took a look at the menu and noticed something unusual. “Curry and coffee…?” he asked, sounding skeptical. The girl smiled. “I know it’s an unorthodox pairing, but it works well.”

“Well, I’ll try anything once.” said Noritaka. “I’ll have the special.”  Noritaka checked his phone as the girl walked into the kitchen to prepare his dish. The door’s bell jingled, and a girl in a Shujin uniform with long orange hair walked in. “Hey, Guy-In-Uniform, can you move over like, one seat? You’re sittin’ on my favorite stool.” 

 

“I was here first, though.”  said Noritaka. “And-”

He leaned over to look at the underside of the stool before sitting upright again.

“-I don’t see your name on it.”

“You don’t even know my name!” protested the girl. 

“There aren’t  _ any _ names on it.” said Noritaka. “Ergo, your name isn’t on it.”

The girl pouted. “Haru! This customer’s being mean!”

“What?!” Noritaka yelped in protest. “Sitting in your favorite seat doesn’t constitute being mean, Futaba!” the girl in the kitchen replied. Futaba gave Noritaka a dirty look before sitting on the stool next to him. Haru came out with a steaming bowl of curry and a cup of coffee. “Thank you,” said Noritaka. As he waited for it to cool, Noritaka pulled a coin from his pocket and began rolling it across the knuckles of his right hand-  a trick of dexterity taught to him by his father when Noritaka was little. Futaba watched as Noritaka made the coin flip over each finger before transferring it from under his little finger to his thumb without dropping it.

“Whoa!” she said, eyes wide with fascination. “How’d you do that?”

“Oh, this?” asked Noritaka, stopping mid-coin roll. “It’s not too difficult...you just gotta pinch the coin between your fingers and then grab it with your pinky with your thumb underneath it.”

 

Futaba snatched the coin off Noritaka’s hand and tried to replicate the trick, only to lose her grip on it. The coin bounced across the floor and rolled into an air conditioning vent.

 

Futaba’s face turned a bright shade of red. “I’m sorry…” she said meekly. Noritaka shrugged. “Eh, not a big deal.” he said before taking a spoonful of curry and eating it. There was an underlying sweetness that mitigated the curry’s inherent spiciness and worked well with the bitterness of the coffee. “Mm, that’s good.” remarked Noritaka. Haru smiled brightly. “Why, thank you!” she said happily. “I worked really hard on that recipe.”

 

Noritaka finished the rest of the curry and coffee. As he stood up, a group of people filed in, one of which Noritaka recognized as the blond boy from class.

 

“Oh, hey Noritaka-san.” said Ryuji. “Never thought I’d see you here.”

Futaba looked over to Noritaka. “Do you know Ryuji?” asked Futaba. 

Noritaka shook his head. “No, I just transferred to Shujin.” he said. “I’m a foster kid, so I get moved around a lot.”

 

Noritaka got acquainted with the group and showed off the coin trick he had shown Futaba. Just as they were getting the hang of it, Noritaka looked outside and yelped. “Oh, crap, I gotta get home.” he said. “It was nice meeting all of you!” he shouted before running out the door.

 

Noritaka had no idea that the people he had just met would soon become an integral part of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I kept getting distracted by life and then NaNoWriMo started. I'm gonna try to be more consistent with chapters but I can't promise anything. Also, there's going to be some changes from the original Two Jokers coming in the future, namely to Noritaka's Persona and Phantom Thief codename.


End file.
